N. Korean leader orders nuclear arms to be readied
Belligerence follows latest U.N. sanctions
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered nuclear weapons to be readied for use, the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.
The shift inmilitary posture would allow North Korea to carry out pre-emp- tive attacks and prevent enemies from sleeping in peace “till the moment they meet their final end in their land,” KCNA reported, citing a speech by the country’s leader. “The only way for defending the sovereignty of our nation and its right to existence under the present extreme situation is to bolster up nuclear force,” KCNA said.
The move, announced in an article about missile tests, follows the UnitedNations Security Council’s unan- imous approval Wednesday of tough new sanctions against North Korea in response to its recent nuclear andmissile tests. The resolution contains the toughest set of sanctions imposed by the Security Council in more than two decades, Secretary of State John Kerry said.
The sanctions require North Korean cargo ships and aircraft to be inspected before entering and after leaving the reclusive country. They would prohibit small arms and other conventional weapons sales to North Korea.
KCNA called the sanctions a flagrant effort by “U.S. imperialists and their followers” to impose “gangster-like” economic, military and political pressure for North Korea’s defensive actions and sovereign right to launch an Earth-observation satellite.
The extent of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is unknown. The nation claimed in January that it had successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb at a test site, but third-party experts and U.S. leaders expressed doubts.
The United States is building a network of ground-based missile interceptors designed to counter a threat from countries such asNorth Korea. The Pentagon said it is on track to have 44 such interceptors ready by the end of next year. Some already are online.